IVR Dominates in an Increasingly Mobile Communications Reliant World

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

As consumers and business users are increasingly more mobile, self-service channels are gaining in popularity. At the same time, customer-facing companies are employing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and other technologies to standardize the delivery of answers to common questions and basic information.

Plum Voice recently highlighted the use of IVR in a blog, stressing the importance of this technology. One important factor in the use of an IVR is the need for either a landline or mobile phone technology to function properly. To gain access to the IVR system, users must have access to some form of phone connection to interact with an inbound or outbound call. That phone connection can even be enabled over the Internet with the use of VoIP.

The telecommunications industry as a whole has been progressing rapidly over the last few years. With this growth, the industry has also seen a surge in smartphone purchases and activity that will continuously boost phone usage and telecom profits.

As users are embracing increased technology functions on their mobile devices, many are also canceling their landlines, opting for mobile phone use exclusively. One post in the Chicago Tribune noted that one in four homes in the U.S. has made this move, and one in every seven homes still maintains a landline, yet receives all calls on cell phones.

These statistics highlight just how important the mobile phone is to its owner. A Mashable report focused on a recent survey conducted by TeleNav (News - Alert) that details the willingness of Americans to give up their cell phones. While questions varied, the answers showed that 22 percent would give up their computer for a week in order to keep their mobile phone; 21 percent would give up shoes; 22 percent their toothbrush; 33 percent sex; 54 percent exercise; 55 percent caffeine; 63 percent chocolate; and 70 percent alcohol.

The answers provided in this survey demonstrate how much consumers have come to rely on their cell phones, even when interacting with IVR systems. Plum Voice is a company operating in this space, catering to IVR users who are heavily and consistently reliant on cell phones to maintain their professional and personal lives. Uninterrupted connectivity is not only important to users – it is critical. This importance continues to increase with technological innovation and users throughout the world will continue to be intimately dependent on their telephones as they leverage IVR for self-service and intelligent interactions.

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Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.